Trade rumours surrounding the Ottawa Senators ahead of the deadline

The Ottawa Senators are likely to be one of the biggest sellers at the trade deadline and already there have been a number of rumours surrounding the team.

A number of rebuild-altering moves were made by the Ottawa Senators at last year’s deadline and they could be involved once again in 2020.

The Senators already hold an impressive stock of draft picks and have some of the most promising young prospects in their system, but could find themselves adding to both on February 24th.

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While the players the Senators could be parting ways with next month are not of the same value as Mark Stone or Matt Duchene, they could still bring in some decent assets to help the organisation continue rebuilding in a strong way.

DeMelo Garnering Interest

One player on an expiring contract that is reportedly garnering interest from around the NHL is defenceman Dylan DeMelo.

DeMelo has been a reliable player since arriving the Canadian capital, originally part of the blockbuster trade that saw the Senators send former captain Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks prior to last season.

As a right-handed defenceman with a cap hit of just $900,000, it’s understandable that a team chasing the playoffs would have an interest in DeMelo, with reports suggesting that the Florida Panthers are particularly interested in his services.

Since arriving in Ottawa, DeMelo has played at or around 20 minutes per game on average and has been a key player under both Guy Boucher and D.J. Smith.

If the Senators view him as a long-term piece to the puzzle, then contract negotiations should start sooner rather than later, otherwise, Pierre Dorion could be forced to part ways with him and look elsewhere for a replacement.

Pageau Talks to Begin, Could Still Be Traded

Arguably the biggest name that could be leaving the Ottawa Senators this deadline is Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who, like DeMelo, is also an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Pageau has been having a career year for the Senators, equalling his career single-season record for goals scored with 19, while having 31 total points in 46 regular season appearances so far.

The organisation appear keen to keep the Ottawa native around for the foreseeable future, with reports suggesting that the two parties will work on a new contract extension ahead of the trade deadline.

Pageau could end up earning a nice pay rise from his current $3.1 million cap hit, but equally could find himself leaving the capital if progress isn’t made between the two sides.

The 27-year-old could become this year’s Stone, with the asking price reportedly a first-round pick and a prospect, as the same approach was made with him before he ultimately found his way to Vegas.

Landing a first-round pick, particularly if it is in this year’s draft, would be a huge return for Pageau and would give the Ottawa Senators three picks in each of the first two rounds in what is considered to be a very deep draft, though keeping him around will also undoubtedly please fans of the team.

What do you think of these rumours Sens fans? Do you hope DeMelo and Pageau stay? What would be acceptable trades for either player? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!